Eagles to take serious look at Kelly

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie speaks to members of the media during a news conference at the team's NFL football training facility, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in Philadelphia. Andy Reid's worst coaching season with the Eagles ended Monday after 14 years when he was fired by Lurie, who said it was time "to move in a new direction." (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Convincing Chip Kelly or Bill O’Brien to leave the college game and raise the bar in the NFL is right up Lurie’s alley, even if he came across a bit too excited to do so while embarking on his head coaching search.

Kelly would be the real coup. And he was on the Eagles’ list several weeks ago according to sources.

Kelly has detractors in the Eagles’ locker room. There are players who think his up tempo spread offense is a joke. They think playing fastbreak football and interchanging running backs and wide receivers and whatnot to unbalance the defense won’t work at the professional level unless you want to grow your injury list.

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“The NFL is totally different,” one veteran said. “The players are a lot bigger and a lot faster. You can’t do all the things they do.”

Kelly has made it work with Oregon (11-1). Radical as it seems, the zone read already has infiltrated the NFL. The Washington Redskins operate a very successful version with Robert Griffin III. The same can be said of the Seattle Seahawks with Russell Wilson. Ditto the New England Patriots, who in their rendering ran a shocking 92 plays in a game against the San Francisco 49ers this season. Tom Brady, by the way, couldn’t beat Griffin or Wilson in the 40-yard dash if you spotted him 30 yards.

Oregon averages a staggering 51 points and 73 plays per game. The Eagles not only would have made the playoffs but could have a bye had their offense been so efficient.

Despite misconceptions, the Kelly offense has multiple tempos, not just warp speed. Kelly spreads the defense out and capitalizes on the mismatches. Isn’t that just football?

Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews, who played under Kelly at Oregon, thinks people are overlooking the obvious.

“You see it in the Redskins this year,” Matthews said. “I mean, what they did with that offense you didn’t think it could possibly work, but they actually had a pretty good year. I don’t know if it would entirely be what it was in college but I think he can work around it. I still think he would do no huddle. His fast and up-tempo practices and games and his play-calling, I think he could bring that.”

Eagles rookie quarterback Nick Foles, who has the mobility of a shopping cart with one stuck wheel, doesn’t think he would be a great candidate to operate the Kelly offense.

“I think you know the answer to that,” the 6-6, 243-pound Foles said. “I’ve never run the zone-read. I’m more of a dropback guy. I’ve been under center. I’ve been in the gun. If I can adapt, I want to. But I’m not a zone-read quarterback. Some people are gifted with different things. That’s just not one of my skills sets. I can work on the speed in the offseason and get better with that. But I’ve always been a dropback in the pocket. I’ve been able to make plays on my feet throwing the ball or running for a first down.”

Matthews, on the other hand, figures Kelly would find a way to put Foles to good use.

“I think he would work with him,” Matthews said. “I don’t know what he would run. It’s up to him. But again, he’s not the coach here yet. So it all depends on who they pick.”

With former Eagles head coach Andy Reid reportedly on his way to joining the Arizona Cardinals, Foles might wind up with him. Or Vick.

The Eagles need to work fast and efficiently to get their pick of head coaches. The forward-thinking Kelly won’t be around for teams that wait to interview coaches after the Super Bowl.

You can check out Kelly’s offense live in the Fiesta Bowl Thursday night (8:30, ESPN).

Penn State’s O’Brien has a $9 million buyout.

Other candidates of interest to the Eagles include Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who likely will interview this week. He kick-started a stale offense and is adept at getting the most out of immobile quarterbacks.

The Eagles also intend to interview Keith Armstrong (from Levittown), special teams coach of the Falcons and Mike Nolan, defensive coordinator of the Falcons.

Armstrong, courted by the Chiefs and Bears, is the only minority candidate. Clubs must interview at least one minority to satisfy the Rooney rule.